Page 84 - STOLEN LEGACY By George G. M. James

(ii) The later, derived from Arabian sources, was compiled by Ptolemus, of the First or Second
Century A.D. This list mentions most of the works in the modern collection, and has a total of
one thousand books. (Zeller's History of Philosophy, p. 172–173; B. D. Alexander's History of
Philosophy, p. 92–93).

(ii) Doctrines of Aristotle

I. Metaphysics: or The Principles of Being, in the Metaphysical realm.

1. Aristotle defines Metaphysics as the science of Being as Being.

2. He names the Attributes of Being as
(a) actuality (entelecheia) i.e., perfection and
(b) potentiality i.e., the capacity for perfection. (dynamis).

3. He states that all created beings are composed of actuality and potentiality. These two
principles are present and are mixed in all created beings except one, whose being is actuality,
and includes the composition of (a) matter and form (b) substance and accident (c) soul and its
faculties (d) active and passive intellect.

II. Principles of being in the physical realm.

There are four principles of being in the physical realm which are called Causes:

(1) Matter (hyle) the material cause, is the potentiality or capacity of existence (hyle prole). It is
that out of which being is made.

(2) Form or Essence (morphe) i.e., the formal cause is that which gives actuality to existence. It
is that into which a thing is made. When matter is united with form the result is organized or
realized being that has come to existence in the processes of nature (synolon, ousia prote).

(3) Final Cause, is that for which everything exists. Everything has a purpose and that purpose is
the final cause. A final cause always implies intelligence: but this is not always true in the case
of the efficient Cause.

Consequently in the realm of nature, every being or living organism is the complex effect of four
causes:

(1) The substance out of which it is made (i.e., material cause). (2) The type or idea, according to
which the embryo tends to develop (i.e., formal cause). (3) The act of creation or generation (i.e.,
efficient cause).

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Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy by George G. M. James
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